SPCC Blog for Bryan tagged 'theology'

Reflections on this week's Sermon--wrath.

bryan@spcc-cma.org — Mon, 16 Jun 2008 02:00:00 +0100

This past weekend, Tim talked in the message about how a proper understanding of the wrath of God is necessary for an appropriate understanding of the love of God. Today I was reading an exerpt from a sermon by 16th century preacher Jonathan Edwards entitled "The Excellency of Christ" . Here is what he said...

"There meet in Jesus Christ, infinite justice and infinite grace.

"As Christ is a divine person, he is infinitely holy and ju [...]

Romans sermons, Same-sex rights in Washington, and coincidence.

bryan@spcc-cma.org — Sun, 16 Mar 2008 01:00:00 +0100

I don't believe in coincidence. And I find it interesting that during the same perdiod of time the Washington State Legislature passes a bill to extend 170 new rights to same-sex couples, we are hitting Romans 1:24-32. Could God be instructing us at to what we ought to believe about this issue at the very time it parades through the media?

How to fight for assurance that you are saved.

bryan@spcc-cma.org — Wed, 12 Mar 2008 01:00:00 +0100

Do you ever doubt your salvation? Do you ever wonder, "Am I real or am I just going through the motions?--am I really born again?" I do. It may not be comforting to you for you to hear a pastor say that.

But I read my bible and find warning after warning about not deceiving yourself. I remember an exerpt from a book by Jonathan Edwards that scared the daylights out of me: Are you saved or do the powers of your imagination have you convinced that you are?

My aim h [...]

When a preacher says: "crap"

bryan@spcc-cma.org — Fri, 07 Mar 2008 01:00:00 +0100

In this video that someone has put together, you can hear John Piper talk about one of the fundamental differences between the real gospel and the gospel so common to our day that he hates.

Why I cherish and despise community

bryan@spcc-cma.org — Mon, 03 Mar 2008 01:00:00 +0100

In Romans chapter 7, Paul talks about the division he feels in himself as a Christian. At one point he says (vv 22-23), "For I delight in the law of God, in my inner being, but I see in my members another law waging war against the law of my mind and making me captive to the law of sin that dwells in my members."

On one hand there is his mind that delights in the Word, but his flesh yearns to sin. I was thinking about this this evening when thinking about the community that [...]

Faith ALONE in context: Get Catholic first.

bryan@spcc-cma.org — Mon, 18 Feb 2008 01:00:00 +0100

I read a short chapter from Preaching the Cross last night. In it, one of the authors (R.C. Sproul) talks about the misunderstanding we have of the idea that faith alone saves us. It is an important misunderstanding to be mindful of, especially in our convenient American Christianity. Sproul points out in this chapter that the theological concept of "faith alone" has its roots in the Reformation of the 15oo's. Martin Luther and others were responding to the Roman Catholic ide [...]

The Joy of Imputation-- Video

bryan@spcc-cma.org — Fri, 11 Jan 2008 01:00:00 +0100

A few years ago, God led me to a deeper understanding of one of the most precious truths of the bible. It's a theological concept known as imputation. It's the double-truth that in Christ, God (1) takes away sin and (2) provides a righteousness. This video I ran accross today by R.C. Sproul, while dated, contains an excelent explanation of this timeless and precious truth from Romans 5.

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Thinking and Reading

bryan@spcc-cma.org — Mon, 07 Jan 2008 01:00:00 +0100

Over the last couple months I've read some really good books. Well, good for me anyways. I've been on a bit of a quest...a reality check if you will. The question I have posed to myself is this...

There is no doubt that since becoming a Christian I have seen change in my life. I used to cuss like a trucker and while viewed by many peers as a "nice guy", I was deeply self-centered and manipulative. The question I posed to myself a short time back was t [...]

Never Too Old to...

bryan@spcc-cma.org — Mon, 17 Dec 2007 01:00:00 +0100

Having turned 37 last month, and doing a little math on (1) what my age will be when my kids graduate from High School (47 for the oldest and 55 for the youngest) and (2) the fact that when my parents were my age I was 15, I began to sense a bit of dispair coming. But God graciously sent me some encouragement...

The first was thing was a sermon by John Piper on "Growing Old to the Glory of God."

http://www.desiringgod.org/ResourceLibrary/ConferenceMe [...]

Images from Space

bryan@spcc-cma.org — Mon, 15 Oct 2007 01:00:00 +0100

There were a few requests for the images that Jim used in his messages this last weekend. So here they are along with a link to the Hubble telescope images page....

To see the Hubble Telescope Website with tons of other amazing images, go to HUBBLE.

Click on an image below to see a larger view.

{gallery}Space_Gallery{/gallery}

Perspectives on Pain - Part 1

bryan@spcc-cma.org — Thu, 19 Jul 2007 01:00:00 +0100

The questions raised by pain and what God is in control of are really part of a larger issue of theology referred to as God's sovereignty or providence. There are differing doctrinal positions on this issue. Most of you will have strong feelings one way or another as we talk about these things. Personally, I am not very interested in discussing doctrine based upon what we think or feel. Rather, I would like us to respond to what God's Word has to say on the topic.

I won't pretend [...]

Delightful and Dangerous Disruptions

bryan@spcc-cma.org — Tue, 05 Jun 2007 01:00:00 +0100

With summer around the corner, it won't be long until our routines are disrupted. School is out. The sun is out. There are vacations to take. Things get turned upside down for awhile. How do we keep our faith right side up in the midst of these temporary disruptions?

There is both a delight and a danger in disruption.

DELIGHT
The delight is that some of what gets disrupted is the steady stream of things to do that seem to control our lives. Kid's schedules [...]